Elliot Lake Retirement Destination with a Low Cost of Living (full review)

Updated January 2024

Elliot Lake retirement destination with a low cost of living offers you affordable housing and recreational activities.  

Elliot Lake Retirement Living Reviews

Cost of Living in Elliot Lake

Elliot Lake ranks as the most affordable city in the province with estimated living costs of around $3,076 per month. The cost of living at Elliot Lake is 30% cheaper than in Toronto in 2024, according to the average local monthly prices. 

This average is based on many factors including the cost of housing, transportation, groceries, and entertainment.

Average Monthly Cost of Living in Elliot Lake

Why Is Elliot Lake so Cheap?

Eliot Lake stands out as an exceptionally appealing retirement destination for a myriad of reasons, chief among them being its remarkable affordability. The city’s cost of living is notably chip, making it an attractive option for retirees seeking a tranquil and budget-friendly place to settle down.

However, the properties are 40- to 50-year-old RENTAL apartments and houses and have not been upgraded since. NO GARAGES on the houses.

NOTE: Once you purchase the house it will be hard to sell if you decide to move.

If your sole purpose for visiting Elliot Lake is to look at the retirement properties…save yourself a LOT of time and gas money! What you see in the brochures is NOT what is there!!!!

History of Elliot Lake, Ontario

To know Elliot Lake, you need to know the history of the place.

Elliot Lake became a community in the 1950s with the discovery of uranium in the area. In 1990 the community of Elliot Lake was on the brink of collapsing. After Ontario Hydro canceled its contract with the mining companies operating out of Elliot Lake. In response, the community transformed itself into a retirement destination.

Since 1993 the town has been clinging to existing infrastructure as less tax money was received from the mines. A non-profit organization, Elliot Lake Retirement Living Inc., was created to market the community to seniors in southern Ontario.

• Retirement Living Inc. bought several vacant apartment blocks, single and semi-detached houses, to rent to seniors willing to migrate to Elliot Lake.
• Various facilities, especially the Renaissance Seniors’ Centre, were developed to cater to the needs of seniors.

A decade later, Elliot Lake has attracted approximately 4,000 elderly migrants and has stabilized its population and economy.

“What would it be like if you moved there? If you don’t care that the community is very slowly falling apart and don’t care for big-city amenities, it is truly a great place to live. It is safe with plenty of activities for older people. I would not move there if you dislike the outdoors because that is really what makes Elliot Lake great. The hiking trails and lakes are incredible.”

Its small-town charm and big-city amenities are a big part of what attracts retirees.

How far is Elliot Lake, Ontario from Toronto?

Elliot Lake is located in a remote location, with cold winters and rough wilderness. It’s about halfway between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Matie, just off Highway 17. 540 km from Toronto by car it takes about seven hours to drive to Elliot Lake from Toronto.

OTHER MARKET ACCESS

• Sudbury – 169 km
• Sault Ste. Marie – 201 km
• North Bay – 290 km
• Timmins – 436 km

Elliot Lake Discovery Tour

A promotional vacation offered by Retirement Living. The Discovery Tour offers free lodging for a weekend for seniors investigating what Elliot Lake has to offer. 3,000 seniors visit Elliot Lake each year as a result of the Discovery Tour program.

Who Moves to Elliot Lake?

Most elderly people who decided to move to Elliot Lake are married, relatively young with a median age of 67, in good health, and with above-average retirement income to get by. Most migrants are also generally white and well-educated.

“Higher levels of education, reflecting greater knowledge of potential destinations and the ability to gather and process that information.” – Newbold 1996

WHERE RESIDENTS LIVED BEFORE MOVING TO ELLIOT LAKE

93% of residents that came to Elliot Lake are from other places in Ontario.

Elderly migrants typically move to a retirement community or a small town, although a few move closer to family. – source

“Elliot Lake residents are independent but not wealthy…They are the kind of people who were busy enjoying their lives and didn’t necessary save for a cushy retirement” – Richard Kennealy, the general manager of Retirement Living (National Post.)

Retirement Living is a rental agency with approximately 1,400 units that primarily attracts seniors from outside of Elliot Lake. Rents start at just $875 per month for a one-bedroom apartment. Two bedroom/2 bathrooms townhouses with gas fireplace $1,300 per month. Retirement Living provides services such as lawn mowing and snow shoveling that reduce maintenance and upkeep of townhouses.

Hospital and Medical Services in Elliot Lake

St. Joseph’s General Hospital has provided health care for the residents of Elliot Lake and the North Shore since 1958. Providing critical, transitional, and rehabilitative care through a variety of in-patient and out-patient programs and services.

St. Joseph’s General Hospital is a 58-bed, accredited facility with medical, surgical, obstetrical, pediatrics, and chronic care facilities, and a 24-hour emergency. After 2020 hospitals experienced staff shortages and emergency closed at night. (edited 2023)

Elliot Lake isn’t quite so rich when it comes to factors like healthcare, with only 4 doctor’s offices per 100,000 residents. That doctor-to-resident ratio is crazy!! You may end up looking for a Doctor for a year and 4 months.

The city also has a fire hall, policing services, and ambulance base station to respond efficiently to any emergency.

CON: As residents age, they demand more services. If the services are unavailable or inadequate, older residents become dissatisfied and leave. The 1995 Elliot Lake Seniors Needs Assessment survey identified a shortage of specialized doctors. 67% of the visits to medical specialists were to out-of-town doctors.

Shopping and Services at Elliot Lake

It is not a town to move to if you are a shopaholic and love big box stores. There aren’t any stores open past 6, the grocery stores included. Things are more expensive because of being rural but it’s not super noticeable. There are bigger towns close by that offer better shopping.

ELLIOT LAKE IS HOME TO NATIONAL CHAINS SUCH AS

• No Frills
• Rona
• Canadian Tire
• Pet Value
• Shoppers Drug Mart
• Rexall

Local businesses offer everything from clothing, pet supplies, and flowers to furniture. There are some small manufacturing businesses as well as a number of contractors offering a variety of carpentry, electrical, masonry, decorating, plumbing, and general construction services.

For your pet’s medical needs, the city has veterinary clinics and businesses that provide boarding and grooming for pets.

Can you reliably get Amazon deliveries at Elliot Lake?

Postal service functions the same as everywhere else, just add a day or two.

Is Elliot Lake A Safe Place to Live?

Elliot Lake comes in at 97th on the list of most dangerous places in Canada, out of 237. It is a VERY HIGH crime rate.

I would not walk alone outside during the night.

Elliot Lake Population and Demographic

The population of Elliot Lake decreased from 17,984 in 1986 to 10,741 in 2016.

Also, the demographic has changed as fewer people are making good wages. People joke that the place is a government town where the only good jobs are in the public sector.

The low cost of living means people could sell their Southern Ontario homes and live comfortably in Elliot Lake. From this, there is a noticeably older population.

There are more women (53%) than men (47%) living in Lake Elliot.

The median age for the community is 59 years. It’s a bilingual community with 76% speaking English only and 22% French and English.

Religious Worship Centers

Elliot Lake has many religious worship centers, including two Roman Catholic churches (French and English) as well as denominations of Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, United, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventist, and Jehovah’s Witness.

Recreational Activities in Elliot Lake

In Elliot Lake life is active. There are ample clubs and recreational activities. Most of the residents will have no problem creating new social ties within the community. You can see recent activities on Elliot Lake’s Facebook Page and Instagram accounts.

There are two beautiful beaches within the community along with countless lakes in the area for canoeing, boating, fishing, and kayaking. Along with several hiking trails, Elliot Lake is home to cross-country ski trails, a tennis club, a curling club, fitness centers, and an indoor municipal swimming pool, as well as snowmobile and ATV trail systems.

Transportation at Elliot Lake

You need a vehicle. This can cause a lot more winter maintenance like winter tires, etc., but this is normal anywhere in Ontario.

The community has a local public transit system. Bus service is provided throughout the city at very reasonable prices. Ninety-five percent of Elliot Lake’s residents are within 5 minutes of walking distance of a bus stop.

The city of Elliot Lake also has Greyhound Services as a contractor. These services connect to other west and east-bound Greyhound buses. They don’t have a service on Saturdays.

CON: The biggest problem is that it’s in the middle of nowhere and not on the way to anywhere. 

Employment Opportunities for Retirees at Elliot Lake, Ontario

Being “retired” doesn’t necessarily mean not working. It might just mean winding down, working less, or just doing something you love.

WHAT ARE THE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE AT ELLIOT LAKE?

• Full and part-time
• Local restaurants and stores (Loblaws, McDonald’s)
• Personal Support Worker
• Bank financial worker
• Bank client service
• Uber Eats delivery
• Instacart shopper
• Pet sitter
• Handyman
• Security guard
• House sitter
• Letter carrier

WHAT ARE THE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE AT ELLIOT LAKE?

• Local Emergency Food Bank (ELEFB)
• Society for Animals in Distress (retail store assistant)
• PAID volunteer firefighters
• St.Joseph’s General Hospital
• Tree planting with Carbon Sequestration Celebration

Climate

Elliot Lake has a humid continental climate. Summers are warm and rainy with cool nights. Winters are long and very cold with extremely heavy snowfall. Precipitation is very heavy year-round for such a cold location.

Is Elliot Lake a good place to retire?

It can be very isolating and challenging because there are not a lot of people and depending on the type of life you lead, it can be lonely. This being said, there are plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation, like snowmobiling, ice fishing, snowshoeing, sledding, etc.

Summer allows for boating, fishing, hiking, biking, and swimming in gorgeous lakes. The summer is extremely beautiful and can be worth the long winter.

According to the Collection Canada survey, most of the residents are very satisfied with their decision to move to Elliot Lake.  82% are either very satisfied or satisfied with their decision. Furthermore, 64% would move again to Elliot Lake.

Conclusion

When you read them keep in mind that people seldom write when they are happy. Living in a small town is certainly not for everyone.

Elliot Lake is a great home for nature lovers who enjoy extreme, trail-based action sports and want a lot of living space without a lifetime of debt.

“My wife and I went up to EL to look at the retirement properties and received two free nights accommodation at the Hampton Inn…THANK GOODNESS!!!!
The hotel is 1 1/2 yrs. new and is a real gem to stay at. Reflecting what previous reviews have stated the rooms are luxurious, the hot breakfast is up-scale continental but very good as is the surrounding lounge area. The staff is very professional and friendly and a real compliment to the hotel.
However, if your sole purpose for visiting Elliot Lake is to look at the retirement properties…save yourself a LOT of time and gas money! What you see in the brochures is NOT what is there!!!! The properties are 40- to 50-year-old RENTAL apartment and house properties that look exactly that…and NO GARAGES on the houses. I stayed in nicer-looking places when I was in university 40 years ago!!!!
The Algo Inn and adjoining Mall in the “city center” are sadly dilapidated and empty …almost slum quality. Although the town, Denison Mines and Rio-Algoma have saved the town by becoming the major landlords for retired people, their facilities are in dire need of improvements beyond the $1.4 million they tell you they have already input.
Unless you are SERIOUSLY into the out-of-doors…save yourself!”  – Doug W. Mississauga June 2011 – source

“Now I wonder why I wanted to move to this scenic part of Ontario. I love the area and people, shopping is a little sparse, but online has now become a fact of life and anything is available. I love driving around Elliot Lake seeing the hills and greenery, and never tire of the view from my window.
I hate the fact that the health service needs to be overhauled within the area plus no one mentioned if you need to see a specific specialist it was either drive to Sudbury or Sault Ste. Marie! I hate the idea that as I progress into my golden years, there might be a need to drive a minimum of two hours one-way (already done several times this year) to ensure I can stay healthy to enjoy them.” – Sue Howe, source

Consider Location and Distance from Loved Ones.

Personal values and experiences normally help with determining the type of location that will be the best.

Finding the right retirement location may not be as simple as most people may think. So, it is very important that you start early thinking about which locations are best for your specific needs.

Thanks for reading this article – I hope you found it helpful. As always, I’d love to hear from you! Have a fabulous week and take care! Irina Nikitina – Founder of Modern Fifty TV

RESOURCES:

• Full view – Housing Markets, Data, and Research – CMHC
• Cost of Living in Elliot Lake – more insights
• A Study of Elliot Lake, Ontario (2020)
• Elliot Lake Today News – local businesses
• Elliot Lake Retirement Living – here